Looping machine with spring beard needle

ABSTRACT

A looping machine with a continuously advancing needle row bed of individual row needles with grooves extending in the longitudinal direction. The looping material to be joined is transferred onto these row needles stitch-by-stitch and row-byrow, and the looping seam is formed by a spring beard needle having a central, downwardly pointing tip in cooperation with a thread feeder. The spring beard needle has a hook with boundary surfaces inclined to the vertical line of symmetry of each row needle as well as parallel to each other. The base of the hook is disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of symmetry of the needle shaft.

United States Patent [1 1 Wittki et al.

[451 May 8,1973

[54] LOOPING MACHINE WITH SPRING BEARD NEEDLE {75] Inventors: Harry Wittki, 8961 Buchenberg; Ludwig Weinmuller, 8961 St. Mang,

both of Germany [73] Assignee: Kemptener Maschinenfabrik GmbH,

Kempten/Allgau, Germany 22 Filed: Dec.24, 1970 21 Appl.No.: 101,250

[52] US. Cl ..112/25, 112/25 [51] Int. Cl. ..D05b 7/00 [58] Field of Search l 12/2527, 227,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,503,353 3/1970 Matthews ..112/222 2,050,563 8/1936 DeSpain.... ..112/25 2,318,586 5/1943 Amidon ..66/119 2,781,957 2/1957 LeSzen ..223/102 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,330,775 5/1963 France ..1 12/223 Primary Examiner-G. V. Larkin AttorneyCraig & Antonelli [57] ABSTRACT A looping machine with a continuously advancing needle row bed of individual row needles with grooves extending in the longitudinal direction. The looping material to be joined is transferred onto these row needles stitch-by-stitch and row-by-row, and the looping seam is formed by a spring beard needle having a central, downwardly pointing tip in cooperation with a thread feeder. The spring beard needle has a hook with boundary surfaces inclined to the vertical line of symmetry of each row needle as well as parallel to each other. The base of the hook is disposed substantially at right angles to the axis of symmetry of the needle shaft.

16 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHAY 8W3 3 731,642

WEI 3 [IF 3 INVENTORS RTTORNEYS LOOPING MACHINE WITH SPRING BEARD NEEDLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a looping machine with a continuously advancing needle row bed composed essentially of individual row needles with groov es or rims extending in the longitudinal direction, and more particularly, to a looping machine wherein the looping material to be joined is transferred onto these row needles stitch-by-stitch and row-by-row, and the looping seam is formed by a spring beard needle having a central, downwardly pointing tip in cooperation with a thread feeder mechanism, wherein the boundary surfaces of the hook are inclined with respect to the vertical line of symmetry of each row needle.

A looping machine serves for bordering and/or joining looping material such as hosiery or knitted goods, or the like by a singleor double-thread warp or chain stitch. In this process, the stitch-forming tools must seize and sew together stitch-by-stitch of the portions of material to be joined. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary to first transfer the looping material stitchby-stitch and row-by-row on to the row needles of the looping machine.

Looping machines are known which have a sewing needle stitching from the inside toward the outside or in the reverse direction. If it is desired, for example, in a machine having a sewing needle stitching from the inside toward the outside to form the looping seam on the outside of the looping material, this can only be effected by a spring beard needle. In this operation, the stitch formation takes place in the following stages:

a. The spring beard needle is moved from the inside toward the outside in the direction toward the row needle crown and penetrates the looping material disposed on this crown;

b. The needle is now moved toward its extreme point of reversal. The thread feeder mechanism places a loop around the needle shaft during this step;

c. The needle then returns to its innermost point of reversal. During this step, the loop laid by the thread feeder mechanism enters the hook base and is pulled through the looping material; and

d. The spring beard needle which has followed the previous continuous rotation of the needle row crown is returned to its penetration position and once again penetrates the looping material. The laying of the loop by the thread feeder mechanism and the retraction of the needle with the new loop in the hook takes place in the same manner once again.

The old stitch is thrown off the needle after passage through the looping material. In the summation of the above-described individual stitching steps, a singlethread looping seam is produced. I

Looping machines and/or stitch-forming processes are also known which operate with the use of a spring beard needle in cooperation with a thread feeder. Thus, British Pat. No. 1,016,533 discloses a looping machine with a spring beard needle. This spring beard needle has essentially a rectangular shaft which is ovally flattened on the two end faces. The book of the sewing needle is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis of the needle shaft. In this connection, it is to be noted that it is important to effect a frictionless paying out or feeding of the thread, especially in case of a looping machine, due to the special design of each individual row needle. However, these conditions cannot be met by this known needle.

' Because of the inclination of the needle hook to the transverse axis and the longitudinal axis and due to the eccentric position of the hook, problems arise which will be explained in greater detail hereinbelow:

The transition of the hook, i. e. the contour of its defining walls leading into the needle shaft, takes place at sharp edges. The lowermost of these edge lines is disposed on the side of the needle shaft where preferably the full circumference thereof is to be effective for guiding the needle in the groove. Therefore, part of the thread laid by the thread feeder is caught between this sharp edge and the groove of the row needle during the return movement, so that the thread can be severed. Furthermore, the tip of the needle hook is disposed at a corner formed by the oval lateral surface and the flattened lateral surface so that, if the hook engages the old stitch disposed on the needle shaft during the return movement of the needle, this stitch is torn. It can thus be seen from the above explanations that two essential factors of this stitch-forming method have not been satisfied:

l. A guidance of the spring beard needle in the groove of the row needle with the thread moving along therewith being freely paid out or fed; and

2. A safe doffing of the old stitch. Thus, this conventional needle has only conditional usefulness for employment in a looping machine.

Furthermore, a stitch-forming method is known from Italian Pat. No. 757,021 wherein the absolute movement of the spring beard needle is composed of a combination of longitudinal and rotary motions. Although this process makes it possible to effect a reliable stitch formation, the drive for the needle is relatively complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an aim of the present invention to overcome the problems and disadvantages encountered in the prior art arrangements.

Starting with a conventional looping machine, wherein the drive of the needle consists of axial longitudinal movements and lateral follow-up movements of the needle bar during engagement in the row needle groove, it is an object of the present invention to provide a looping machine with a spring beard needle stitching from the inside toward the outside or conversely, wherein the disadvantages of the conventional designs are eliminated.

The foregoing problems have been solved in accordance with the present invention, by providing a spring beard needle with a substantially symmetrical hook having boundary surfaces which are oriented in parallel to each other and extend in parallel to the axis of symmetry of the needle shaft. The hook base is disposed at right angles to this axis of symmetry, wherein the boundary surfaces, over the entire length of the hook, form a constant angle with respect to the vertical line of symmetry of each row needle, on which the tip of the spring beard needle is disposed. By this arrangement, the body portion available for guiding the needle is not weakened, on one hand, and furthermore a free pay-out or feed of the sewing thread is possible.

In accordance with a further feature of the present invention, the tip of the spring beard needle points downwardly, as conventional per se, and extends beyond the needle shaft body. Upon the return movement of the needle, a portion of the sewing thread is thus moved underneath the needle shaft body. The downwardly pointing tip which projects beyond the diameter of the needle shaft prevents the thread from slipping off. A preferred embodiment according to the present invention provides that the lateral contour of the needle hook disposed closest to the row needle groove is recessed toward the center of the needle, thereby obtaining a larger amount of play for the sewing thread.

The advantages attainable by the present invention reside, in particular, in that no special drive means need be made available for a normal crochet needle which ensures the free run of the sewing thread and which is furthermore securely guided in the row needle groove. Thus, the needle is sufficient, for example, without an expensive drive mechanism which is susceptible to breakdown. The sewing needle of the present invention, especially due to its uncomplicated structure, serves for ensuring safety in operation to the highest degree, so that a machine can be operated with this needle at the highest speeds, thereby making it possible to form flawless stitches. Due to the downwardly pointing tip of the sewing needle, the shaft is freed of the row needle groove, so that a large amount of free space is made available for the sewing thread.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING These and further aims, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which shows, for purposes of illustration only, an embodiment in accordance with the present invention and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a simplified, partial view of a looping machine;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a row needle crown of the looping machine according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, partial view of a spring beard needle in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the needle shown in FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 through 9 show the stitch-forming process. (Note that FIG. 7 is taken along section VII-VII of FIG. 6.)

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Referring now to the drawing and, in particular, to FIG. 1, a looping machine 1 consists essentially of a machine top part 2. which is rotatably mounted with respect to the surface of a pedestal and which, in turn, has a row needle crown 3 and an overhead arm 4. The overhead arm 4 carries at its free end a thread feeder 5, and the drive elements of the thread feeder are supported in the overhead arm 4 in a conventional manner (not shown). The row needle crown 3 is composed of individual row needles 6 which are preferably mounted in segments 7 and are secured by a pressure plate 8.

The stitch-forming procedure takes place with a spring beard needle 9, which is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4 on an enlarged scale. A shaft 10 terminates in a tip 1 I with a tip point 12, and the tip, along with its tip point, extends beyond the needle shaft body. The tip point 12 takes over the guidance of the spring beard needle in each groove 13 of the row needles 6. The hook 14 is distinguished by its symmetrical dimensions and is inclined with respect to the vertical line of symmetry of the row needle 6, on which the tip point 12 of the spring beard needle 9 is further disposed. The two boundary surfaces 15 and 16 of the hook 14 extend in parallel to each other and, in parallel to the axis of symmetry 17 of the needle shaft 10. The base 18 of the hook is at right angles to this axis of symmetry.

FIG. 4 shows the spring beard needle 9 of FIG. 3 in a top view. It can be seen that the tip 1 1 tapers symmetrically to its tip point 12, and the hook 14 is disposed obliquely with respect to the vertical line of symmetry of each row needle 6.

In FIG. 5, the needle is illustrated in its extreme point of reversal, that is after penetrating the looping material. In this position, the thread feeder 5 places a sewing thread 19 around the needle shaft 10. The path of the thread feeder is dimensioned so that the sewing thread 19 is closely looped around the shaft 10. During the further return of the needle 9, the sewing thread 19 enters the hook base 18 and, during passage through the looping material, assumes the position illustrated in FIG. 6. The path of the sewing thread in the hook base 18 is shown in section in FIG. 7. Depending on the particular yarn employed, a lateral contour 20 can be recessed toward the center of the needle, so that a free run of the sewing thread is ensured.

In FIG. 8, the needle is illustrated in its innermost point of reversal. The sewing thread 19 is held in the illustrated position by the hook 14. Upon a return of the sewing needle 9 into its penetration position or through the continuously rotating needle crown 3, one end 21 of the sewing thread 19 is automatically disposed underneath the tip point 12. The tip, which is extended relatively far toward the front, prevents the end 21 of the sewing thread 159 from falling off. These relationships can furthermore be seen from FIG. 9, which shows the sewing needle 9 in the penetrating position which follows. The old stitch 22 is thrown off during the return movement of the needle. The doffing of the stitch takes place in a particularly safe manner, since almost the entire shaft diameter is available for the guidance of the stitch. The rounded hook prevents the needle 9 from hooking into the old stitch 22.

While we have shown and described an embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it is to be clearly understood that the same is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the present invention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the details shown and described herein, but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are encompassed by the scope of the present invention.

We claim:

I. Looping machine including a continuously advancing row needle bed essentially comprising individual row needles, each having a groove extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereby looping material to be joined is transferred onto the row needles stitch-by-stitch and row-by-row, and a spring beard needle with a shaft body and a central, downwardly pointing tip in cooperation with thread feeder means for forming a looping seam, said tip having a tip point which slidably guides the spring beard needle on a surface of the row needle, said spring beard needle having a hook with boundary surfaces disposed obliquely to a vertical line of symmetry of each of the row needles, the hook being substantially symmetrical, and the boundary surfaces of said hook being parallel to each other and extending parallel to a longitudinally extending axis of symmetry of the shaft body.

2. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein the hook has a base disposed substantially normal to the axis of symmetry, and the boundary surfaces form a constant angle with the vertical line of symmetry over the entire length of the hook.

3. Looping machine according to claim 2, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle is disposed in the groove of the row needle.

4. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle extends beyond the shaft body of the needle.

5. Looping machine according to claim 4, wherein the hook has a base disposed substantially normal to the axis of symmetry, and the boundary surfaces form a constant angle with the vertical line of symmetry over the entire length of the hook.

6. Looping machine according to claim 5, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle is disposed in the groove of the row needle.

7. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein the hook has a lateral contour disposed closest to the row needle groove and recessed with respect to the center of the needle.

8. Looping machine according to claim 7, wherein the hook has a base disposed substantially normal to the axis of symmetry, and the boundary surfaces form a constant angle with the vertical line of symmetry over the entire length of the hook.

9. Looping machine according to claim 8, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle is disposed in the groove of the row needle.

10. Looping machine according to claim 9, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle extends beyond the shaft body of the needle.

11. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein said shaft body is cylindrical in cross-section.

12. A spring beard needle for use in a looping machine of the type including a continuously advancing row needle bed having individual row needles, each row needle having a groove extending in the longitudinal direction thereof for guiding the spring beard needle during transfer of looping thread from a thread feeder onto the row needles stitch-by-stitch and rowby-row; said spring beard needle comprising: a longitudinally extending shaft body, a centrally disposed downwardly pointing tip point at one end of said needle for guiding movement of said needle within the respective grooves of the row needles, and a hook for releasably holding said looping thread during looping operations, said hook having side boundary surfaces parallel to one another and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of said shaft body, said side boundary surfaces extending obliquely with res ect to the vertical Iplane of symmetry of said shaft bo y when said spring eard nee le is operatively positioned in the groove of a row needle.

13. A needle according to claim 12, wherein said hook includes a base surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said base surface intersecting said side boundary surfaces.

14. A needle according to claim 12, wherein said side boundary surfaces consist of two substantially planar surfaces.

15. A needle according to claim 14, wherein said tip extends downwardly of the contours of said shaft by a predetermined amount corresponding to a distance greater than the thickness of thread to be used with said spring beard needle.

16. A needle according to claim 15, wherein said hook includes a base surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said base surface interconnecting said side boundary surfaces. 

1. Looping machine including a continuously advancing row needle bed essentially comprising individual row needles, each having a groove extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, whereby looping material to be joined is transferred onto the row needles stitch-by-stitch and row-by-row, and a spring beard needle with a shaft body and a central, downwardly pointing tip in cooperation with thread feeder means for forming a looping seam, said tip having a tip point which slidably guides the spring beard needle on a surface of the row needle, said spring beard needle having a hook with boundary surfaces disposed obliquely to a vertical line of symmetry of each of the row needles, the hook being substantially symmetrical, and the boundary surfaces of said hook being parallel to each other and extending parallel to a longitudinally extending axis of symmetry of the shaft body.
 2. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein the hook has a base disposed substantially normal to the axis of symmetry, and the boundary surfaces form a constant angle with the vertical line of symmetry over the entire length of the hook.
 3. Looping machine according to claim 2, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle is disposed in the groove of the row needle.
 4. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle extends beyond the shaft body of the needle.
 5. Looping machine according to claim 4, wherein the hook has a base disposed substantially normal to the axis of symmetry, and the boundary surfaces form a constant angle with the vertical line of symmetry over the entire length of the hook.
 6. Looping machine according to claim 5, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle is disposed in the groove of the row needle.
 7. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein the hook has a lateral contour disposed closest to the row needle groove and recessed with respect to the center of the needle.
 8. Looping machine according to claim 7, wherein the hook has a base disposed substantially normal to the axis of symmetry, and the boundary surfaces form a constant angle with the vertical line of symmetry over the entire length of the hook.
 9. Looping machine according to claim 8, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle is disposed in the groove of the row needle.
 10. Looping machine according to claim 9, wherein the tip point of the spring beard needle extends beyond the shaft body of the needle.
 11. Looping machine according to claim 1, wherein said shaft body is cylindrical in cross-section.
 12. A spring beard needle for use in a looping machine of the type including a continuously advancing row needle bed having individual row needles, each row needle having a groove extending in the longitudinal direction thereof for guiding the spring beard needle during transfer of looping thread from a thread feeder onto the row needles stitch-by-stitch and row-by-row; said spring beard needle comprising: a longitudinally extending shaft body, a centrally disposed downwardly pointing tip point at one end of said needle for guiding movement of said needle within the respective grooves of the row needles, and a hook for releasably holding said looping thread during looping operations, said hook having side boundary surfaces parallel to one another and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of symmetry of said shaft body, said side boundary surfaces extending obliquely with respect to the vertical plane of symmetry of said shaft body when said spring beard needle is operatively positioned in the groove of a row needle.
 13. A needle according to claim 12, wherein said hook includes a base surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said base surface intersecting said side boundary surfaces.
 14. A needle according to claim 12, wherein said side boundary surfaces consist of two substantially planar surfaces.
 15. A needle according to claim 14, wherein said tip extends downwardly of the contours of said shaft by a predetermined amount corresponding to a distance greater than the thickness of thread to be used with said spring beard needle.
 16. A needle according to claim 15, wherein said hook includes a base surface disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said shaft, said base surface interconnecting said side boundary surfaces. 